Summary

Black and white, silver gelatin photograph of a staff event, possibly a retirement function, at the Kodak Australasia factory in Abbotsford, Victoria, January 1958.

The Abbotsford factory was initially the site of the Austral Plate Company, created by Thomas Baker, a pharmaceutical chemist, in 1884. After Baker went into partnership with accountant, John Rouse, to develop the photographic manufacturing company, Baker and Rouse Pty Ltd, they proposed a merger with Eastman Kodak in 1907. In 1908, Australian Kodak Limited was formed and evolved to become what is known today as Kodak Australasia. The Abbotsford site remained the base for the operations of Kodak Australasia until the late 1950s.

Kodak manufactured and distributed a wide range of photographic products to Australasia, such as film, paper, chemicals, cameras and miscellaneous equipment. Its client base included amateur and professional photographers, as well as specialist medical and graphic art professionals who used photography, x-ray and other imaging techniques.

This photograph is part of the Kodak collection of products, promotional materials, photographs and working life artefacts collected from Kodak Australasia in 2005, when the Melbourne manufacturing plant at Coburg closed down.

Description of Content

A number of men and women are standing at the back of a room and at the centre of the group is an elderly man in a three-piece suit. There are tables set up for serving tea and refreshments. Perched on a table next to the elderly gentleman is a clock.

Physical Description

Black and white silver gelatin photograph, printed on medium weight paper with a white border, landscape format.

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